Incinerator



June 23, 1970 w. M. FISHER 3,516,372

INCINERATOR Filed Sept. 19, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l N VEXTOR.

WILFRED M. FISHER ATTORNEYS June 23, 1970 w. M. FISHER 3,516,372

INCINERATOR Filed Sept. 19, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 F G 4 INVENTOR.

WILFRED M. FISHER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,516,372 INCINERATOR Wilfred M. Fisher, 745 N. Lawndale, South Bend, Ind. 46628 Filed Sept. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 760,951 Int. Cl. F23g 9/00 U.S. Cl. 110-18 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An outdoor incinerator having a generally cylindrical container for the burning of refuse, and a cover of a generally pyramidal shape resting on the container. An air draft passage is formed beneath the four corners of the cover for directing air over the upper edge and into the container for combustion. The cover contains a center hole over which a cap and a spark arrester are mounted.

Conventional outdoor refuse burners which depend on normal draft and the heat of the burning trash for combustion will often not burn the trash completely, and will frequently smolder, smoke and smell for extended periods of time until the fire dies out, leaving the partially burnt material in the burner. The partially burnt material ac--' cumulates in the burner and interferes with the effective operation of the burner and requires frequent emptying: Further, these burners, which are often drum or cylindrical shaped and open at the top, emit sparks and flames which create a fire hazard to surrounding property and to the one emptying the refuse and stirring the fire to accelerate burning. This type of burner, while simple in construction and operation and relatively inexpensive, is virtually incapable of burning wet or damp material which, if placed in the burner, will extinguish the fire and will have to be removed therefrom. Special types of burners have been tried from time to time which will perform satisfactorily, but these have been complicated, expensive and inconvenient to operate and maintain and often have only a limited service life. It is therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a refuse incinerator which is so constructed and designed that it will direct the draft to obtain effective combustion of the refuse material and to consume most of the smoke, and which will handle wet and damp materials without causing the material to smolder, smoke or smell to any extent or for extended periods of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide an incinerator for all types of combustible rubbish, which is relatively simple in construction and operation and which can easily be cleaned, relocated and maintained in optimum operating condition without special or frequent attention or service.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an incinerator which provides maximum safety to person and property, and which is neat and attractive in appearance and easy to fabricate, ship, store and assemble, without the use of any special tools or equipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide an incinerator of the aforementioned type which is so constructed that the fire container thereof can readily be re- 3,5 lfifi 72 Patented June 23, 11970 incinerator, the section being taken on line 33 of FIG.

2; and

FIG. 4 is a view of the present incinerator, illustrating the manner in which the incinerator is opened.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, numeral 10 designates the present refuse incinerator or burner generally, 12 the body or fire container of the burner, 14 a cover and draft and spark control unit for the body of the incinerator. The present incinerator may be of various sizes and constructed of sheet metal of various gauges and kinds, including galvanized steel and aluminum. It may also be painted or left in the metallic condition. These are details which do not directly involve the present invention, and hence will not be described further herein.

The body or container 12 of the present incinerator is shown as a cylindrical structure having annularly corrugated side walls 20. A bottom may or may not be used since the body may sit directly on a suitable flat support surface such as a concrete slab or the like 26. The annular corrugations have the effect of giving some vertical support to the refuse material placed therein so that it does not compact as readily as in a container having straight cylindrical sides, and thus permit the air to circulate more readily in the container, as will be more specifically described hereinafter. While the draft for the burning material is essentially obtained from the downdraft in the container, a plurality of vent holes 22 may be provided to augment the primary draft. Further, the container may be placed on short legs or blocks which would provide a small annular opening at the lower edge of the container when a bottom is not included. A bottom, if included, would be secured to the lower end of the container; however, it may be recessed upwardly therefrom. One of the primary advantages in not including a bottom permanently secured to the container is the ease with which the ash and other noncombustible materials may be removed from the container. While the corrugated type side walls are preferred, the present invention may be used in conjunction with other side wall configurations, including straight cylindrical side walls, or side walls having several spaced annular strengthening ribs.

The primary feature of the present invention is the cover structure and the relation of the cover structure to the upper part of the cylindrical container. As seen in the drawings, the cover 14 is generally of a pyramid shape with the four side walls 30, 32, 34, and 36 being straight and joined to one another by a straight seam extending downwardly and outwardly from the top. When the sheet metal pyramid structure is placed on top of the container, the cover rests on the upper periphery of the container at points 40, 4 2, 44, and 46 of the respective side walls 30, 32, 34, and 36, thus leaving a substantial area between the top of the container and the under surface of the cover at corners 5t), 52, 54, and 56. The spaces beween the upper periphery of the container and corners 50, 52, 54, and 56 form the passages for the primary draft for combustion of the material in the container, the air always flowing inwardly through those passages.

An opening 60 is provided in the upper center of the cover for the escape of smoke and hot gases generated by the burning material in the container. In order to assist in the full combustion of the volatile material, as well as to improve the draft characteristics created by the hot gases, a cap 62 placed above and surrounding opening 60 provides a generally annular space 64 which admits air to the stream of hot gases passing upwardly through opening 60, to more fully consume the smoke and hot gases. Since there is always a possibility that sparks will be present in the hot gases, a screen 70 is provided completely around opening 60, and a screen 72 closes the opening in the cap. The cap is held in spaced relation to the upper surface of side walls 30, 32, 34, and 36 by screen 70 riveted or otherwise secured to the respective side walls and to the underside of the cap. Likewise, the screen 72 is joined'to the upper surface of the cap 62. The smoke and hot gases on leaving the container pass only through opening 60 and through the screen or perforated structure 72 or through side wall screen 70.

The cover normally rests on the upper periphery of body or container 12 and it may be hinged at one side where the cover contacts the container, as for example at hinge 76. If it is hinged at one point, the cover may be tilted upwardly so that rubbish may be placed in the container from the side opposite the hinge.

The hinge 76 is attached to a reinforcing member 78 secured to the underside of the cover. When the incinerator is used, the cover is tilted upwardly toward the hinge, using handle 80 on the opposite side of the cover. While the cover may be tilted rearwardly sufficiently far to overbalance it and thereby cause it to remain open, the present apparatus preferably has a support arm 82 attached to the cover and extending downwardly along one side of the body. When the cover is raised, the lower end of the lever, which is provided with a laterally extending finger 84, seats on the upper edge of the body, thereby firmly holding the cover in its raised position as illustrated in FIG. 4. The lever is attached rigidly to the underside of the cover, preferably to a reinforcing member 86 secured horizontally along the edge of the cover.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, no bottom is provided in the cylindrical body, thus facilitating cleaning of the incinerator. When the incinerator is to be cleaned, the body is tilted rearwardly and supported in the tilted position by a pivoted arm 90, the lower end of which rests on the ground. The arm 90 is preferably pivoted to the body by pins 92 extending through the arm and through the upper portion of the body side walls.

In the operation of the present incinerator, with the container mounted on a suitable supporting surface such as the concrete slab 26, and with the cover resting on the upper end of the container, rubbish and other combustible materials are placed in the container by tilting the cover rearwardly. The materials are then ignited and the heat from the burning material causes the hot gases and smoke to pass upwardly through opening 60 and through screens 70 and 72. The air for the draft passes between the undersurface of the cover and the upper edge of the container at the four corners 50, 52, 54, and 56 and downwardly along the inner side of the container, hence passing through the combustible material to provide adequate air for effective combustion. Since the air for the draft always passes inwardly beneath the cover, and the air passing through space 64 always passes inwardly and upwardly, no fire hazard is created by sparks or flames. This type of structure provides effective combustion of the materials so that most of the material is fully burnt, leaving very little residue. From time to time the ash and other non-combustible residue must be removed. This is easily accomplished by merely tilting the body or lifting it from the concrete slab 26.

Since the air for the draft passes downwardly along the inner surface of the container, the container wall does not become as hot as normally occurs when a drum or the like is used for a trash burner. Consequently, the life of the container side wall is greatly extended. One of the advantages of the non-hinged type is that the cover can be used on various cylindrical containers and placed on one in which combustible materials are being destroyed while combustible materials are being accumulated in other containers on which the cover will be placed from time to time. If the container is damaged by heat or rust,

it can be replaced without replacing the cover.

While only one embodiment of the present incinerator has been described in detail herein, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An outdoor incinerator comprising a container having an open top and a generally annular upper edge, a cover for seating on said container, said cover having four walls forming a generally pyramidally shaped structure with an opening at the top thereof, the lower edge of said cover being larger than the annular upper edge of said container and defining an air passage at each corner of said cover over the top of said annular edge.

2. An outdoor incinerator as defined in claim 1 in which at least two of the internal surfaces of said four side walls contact said annular upper edge.

3. An outdoor incinerator as defined in claim 1 in which said container is generally cylindrically shaped.

4. An outdoor incinerator as defined in claim 2 in which said container is generally cylindrically shaped.

5. An outdoor incinerator as defined in claim 1 in which a cap with a center hole in the top is positioned around the opening in said cover in spaced relation to the side walls forming said cover.

-6. An outdoor incinerator as defined in claim 4 in which a cap with a center hole in the top is positioned around the opening in said cover in spaced relation to the side walls forming said cover.

7. An outdoor incinerator as defined in claim 5 in which a screen-like structure is mounted on said cap in the path of hot gases passing through the opening therein.

8. An outdoor incinerator as defined in claim 7 in which said screen-like structure consists of a horizontally disposed plate structure and four side walls extending downwardly therefrom to the upper surface of said cap.

9. An outdoor incinerator as defined in claim 1 in which a hinge pivotally secures said cover to said container.

10. An outdoor incinerator as defined in claim 1 in which an arm secured to said cover supports said cover in open position and an arm secured to said container supports said container in a tilted position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS KENNETH W. SPRAGUE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. -19 

